Grace Lau’s portraits in a Chinese studio – in pictures

This weekend and for the following month, the artist Grace Lau will recreate a 19th-century Chinese portrait studio in a Southampton shopping centre, inviting passersby to sit for free photographic portraits alongside lunar new year celebrations. She first undertook the project in 2005 for her series 21st Century Types.

Portraits in a Chinese Studio is presented by John Hansard Gallery, part of the University of Southampton. It runs from 21 January to 12 February at The Marlands shopping centre, Southampton, in association with Chinese Arts Southampton, Chinese Association of Southampton, UK Shaolin Centre and the Confucius Institute.